Fireflies in the Night: A Novel

Kavita Krishnan, growing up in Assam in the late 50’s, is moving with her family to Dibrugarh. Her father, a government official, has just been transferred to the land of tigers and tea plantations. Living with the threat of a Chinese aggression and the death of her brother Arun, Kavita is both a witness and a victim of her family’s disintegration. Set against the lush background of tea estates and wild animals, Fireflies in the Night portrays the life of the Namboodiripads, a close-knit family torn apart by the tragic loss of the youngest, Arun. Kavita’s older sister, Anupama is her protector and the source of information about life and other things. Krishnan is a loving yet reserved man who has trouble showing his feelings. Devi, the mother, is a beautiful and seductive woman whose basest instincts come to life with the death of her son. In Shillong, the capital of Assam in 1962, the situation with China heats up. Kavita is fifteen when she experiences the Indo-Sino war of 1962, the politics behind it, the promises and the betrayals. Inspired by her sister’s courageous stand against her parents, there is only one choice left for Kavita: leave.